Research

There is no one public response to climate change. Instead, there are different audiences or "interpretive communities" within society who each respond in their own distinct ways. Our research seeks to identify and understand these different audiences as a critical first step to more effective education and communication.

Humanity (7+ billion people) is having a profound impact on the Earth's climate system, through our climate and energy-related behaviors, consumer choices, social and cultural norms, communication patterns, and activism. Our research seeks to measure, track and understand the motivations and barriers to large-scale behavioral change and climate action.

Public awareness and understanding are important components of an effective response to climate change. Do people understand or misunderstand that global warming is happening, human-caused, and a serious risk for human societies and natural ecosystems? Do they understand the scientific consensus that human-caused global warming is happening? Do they know what the solutions are - for individuals, communities, nations, and the world as a whole? Our research seeks to measure, track, and explain the current state and underlying drivers of public beliefs and attitudes about climate change.

Climate change is already having significant impacts on human societies and natural ecosystems around the world - impacts that will become much more severe if global warming continues. Our research investigates how individuals, communities, and societies are vulnerable or resilient to these impacts, including heatwaves, floods, wildfires, human health, sea level rise, droughts, and severe storms.

Climate change is a scientific, health, political, economic, national security, environmental, moral and religious issue, among many others. Our research investigates what messages and messengers best engage different audiences in climate science and solutions.

Stopping global warming will require coordinated policies by national, state, and local governments. Our research measures, tracks and explains the drivers of public support for climate and energy policies and the larger politics of global warming, including elections, political parties and political ideology.